METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

Hundreds of new studentsenter college each September.One long-standing assump-tion about college freshmen istheir propensity to gainweight – on average 15pounds over the course oftheir initial year in college. Asit turns out, a new studypokes holes in that assump-tion and goes on to point outthe truth about freshmanweight gain.

A study by research scien-tist Jay Zagorsky from OhioState University’s Center forHuman Resource Researchdebunks the myth of the“freshman 15,” stating thatthe average weight gain isbetween 2.4 pounds forwomen and 3.4 for men. Intotal, no more than 10 percentof all college freshmen whowere examined in the studyactually gained 15 pounds.

Some even lost weight.The results of this study

were published in Social Sci-ence Quarterly. The study

pointed to aging and becom-ing young adults as the cul-prit behind the weight gain,not necessarily the late-night

pizza study sessions or cafete-ria grub. The study alsolooked at same-aged peoplewho were not in college, andmost gained the same amountof weight during the period oftime they could have been col-lege freshmen.

While students may notgain 15 pounds their fresh-man year, college-age peopledo gain about 10 to 12 poundsover the four-year schoolperiod. Again, this is attrib-uted to natural body changesassociated with moving fromadolescence into adulthood.

Students concerned aboutweight gain in excess of the 2to 3 pounds per year canemploy these strategies tokeep weight gain at a mini-mum.

■ Limit alcoholic bever-ages, which tend to be high incalories and add weight fast.

■ Plan for some daily exer-

cise, even if it’s just strollingthe quad.

■ When selecting foodsfrom the cafeteria, fill half ofyour dish with vegetables andthen a quarter with wholegrains and a quarter withlean meat whenever possible.

■ Limit consumption ofpackaged, processed foods,which are high in salt andcalories.

■ Go sparingly on drive-

thru foods.■ Keep healthy snacks on

hand in your dorm room soyou won’t have to head outwhen hunger pangs strike.

■ Utilize the campus gymif there is one.

■ Take a class as part ofyour electives that includesphysical activity, like a sport.

■ Surround yourself withfriends who have like-mindedfitness goals.

2F Sunday, April 8, 2012 The Daily NonpareilCOLLEGE BOUND

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College freshmen may not gain 15 pounds their first yearafter all.

Research indicates infamous ‘freshman 15’ is a myth

Surviving your first year of college

MIKE BROWNLEEMBROWNLEE@NONPAREILONLINE.COM

After Asher and Carol Shorey helped movetheir son, John, into his dorm at Northeast Mis-souri State University before freshman year,Dad told son:

“Don’t let your studies get in the way of youreducation.”

John, now a professor of history and politicalscience at Iowa Western Community College,said classes are obviously very important – “Goto class, take it seriously” – but so is meetingnew people, joining organizations and attend-ing campus activities.

“Take advantage of everything the collegehas to offer,” he said. “Take advantage of thecollege life.”

Incoming freshmen will experience manynew things that first year of college. Here’ssome advice from people who’ve been there awhile.

■ When it comes to class, the first piece ofadvice from Shorey is, “make sure you go toclass.”

“Your parents aren’t always there to wakeyou up. The thing about college is you have a lotmore freedom,” he said. “Like they say, 90 per-cent of life is showing up.”

Some colleges have an attendance policy,others don’t. Same for professors. Shorey saidhe doesn’t.

“Students who don’t come to class get badgrades anyway,” he said. “I don’t penalize fur-ther.”

■ Complete the readings, ask questions, getinvolved in the class, Shorey said.

“Even if it’s a lecture.”■ Work hard.Joseph Brown, a professor of psychology

with the University of Nebraska at Omaha,said ability and smarts are important. Buthard work is even more important.

“It’s what you do, what time you put in, theseriousness you put into studies,” he said.“Often times people believe the successful stu-dents are successful because of ability theyhave instead of something they’re doing. Butthey put in the time.”

■ Critical thinking skills are a must.“You have be able to read a textbook, read a

chapter from beginning to end and be able to

use all of it,” Brown said.■ Quality note taking is a must – “write

down as much as you can,” Shorey said.And you have to understand all of the mate-

rial, according to Brown.“Just having a vague explanation is not

going to be good enough in a college course. Youhave to understand what’s going on, in depth,”

he said. “You have to be able to explain theactual theory or subject.”

■ For that reason study groups are invalu-able, the UNO professor said. When studyingalone students often go over material, quizthemselves, then think, “‘Oh I understand that’and move on.”

“But in a study group you have to give your

answer, a member might be able to ask forwhat’s missing, what could be added,” he said.“Study groups are a really useful tool for stu-dents.”

■ And do that learning for yourself.“Master the material, not to match the level

or what the instructor wants but because mas-tering it is important (in itself),” Brown said.

A little advicefor freshmen

Staff photos/Erin Duerr

John Shorey lectures a class at Iowa Western Community College. The professor of history and political science said classes are obvi-ously very important – “Go to class, take it seriously” – but so is meeting new people, joining organizations and attending campus activ-ities. “Take advantage of everything the college has to offer. Take advantage of the college life.”

DENNIS FRIENDDFRIEND@NONPAREILONLINE.COM

Not every college studentsgets his or her start at a four-year school. Some college stu-dents decide to begin their edu-cation at a community college.

One of the main reasonsmay be to save money – thecosts are lower at a communitycollege.

“Tuition here is about 60percent of tuition at the univer-sities, and private colleges aremuch more,” Iowa WesternCommunity College PresidentDan Kinney said.

Keri Zimmer, IWCC directorof advising, said tuition percredit hour at IWCC is $126,plus an additional $13 in fees.

“Tuition at the public four-year schools for a semester isaround $7,500 for a year,” Zim-mer said. “Another big differ-ence is seen in the fee struc-tures. IWCC has a flat $13credit hour fee, whereas manyother schools have fees forthings like technology, applica-tion, parking, student IDs,activities, student service, grad-uation fees, transcript fees – sothey add up very quickly.”

A credit hour at the Univer-sity of Northern Iowa costs$267. At the University ofNebraska at Omaha, Nebraskaresidents pay $189.75 percredit hour and non-residentspay $559.50 per credit hour.

If an IWCC student trans-fers to UNO, Chris Liewer,UNO director of recruitmentand orientation, said they savemoney with the school’s Metro-politan Advantage Program

and Maverick AdvantageScholarship.

“UNO is seeing an increasednumber of Iowa students trans-ferring and benefiting fromthese programs,” said Liewer.“They provide significantlyreduced tuition opportunitiesfor students from 11 easternIowa counties, which includesPottawattamie, Harrison andMills.”

Articulation agreementsalso help IWCC students.These are agreements withfour-year universities like theUniversity of Iowa, the Univer-sity of Northern Iowa andBuena Vista University.

“When a student completesa degree at IWCC, they trans-fer in at the junior level at thefour-year school,” Zimmeradded.

UNO also has articulationagreements with several com-

munity colleges in the area.These agreements make stu-dents aware of how their com-pleted credits transfer to UNO.

“It is beneficial for the stu-dents to work closely with theiradvisor at both the communitycollege and UNO,” Liewer said.“By keeping in touch with advi-sors, students are able to stayon track, take the right coursesand have an easy transitioninto their bachelor’s degreeprogram.”

“Students could save thou-sands by starting at IWCC,graduating and moving on,”Zimmer said.

Cara Cool knows starting ata two-year college, then attend-ing a four-year college, hasfinancial advantages. Shebecame an IWCC studentrecruiter after graduating fromthe University of Iowa with aBachelor of Arts degree in com-

munications.“I went to Iowa Western,

graduated with an associate’sdegree in arts and generalstudies, then I went to the Uni-versity of Iowa,” Cool said. “Allmy classes transferred, andthey were more than accommo-dating.”

There are programs like theIowa State and University ofIowa Admissions PartnershipProgram. Students sign up forthe program and get anassigned advisor to help steerthem toward a four-yeardegree while they attendIWCC.

There also are programslike University of Iowa’s 2+2where, “for specific majors stu-dents can be guaranteed grad-uation in two years if they takethe appropriate coursework atIWCC and work with UI fromearly on,” Zimmer said.

Sunday, April 8, 2012 3FThe Daily Nonpareil COLLEGE BOUND

When money matters

Submitted photo

Iowa Western Community College student Vanessa Fichter of McClelland meets withenrollment advisor Libby Petersen, seated, and Keri Zimmer, director of advising.

Save thousandsby starting ata community

college

Making the changeGoing from a two-year community college to a four-year college can be a chal-

lenge. When students transfer, they can experience a little bit of transfer shock, similar

to what they experienced when they came from high school to Iowa Western Com-munity College, according to Keri Zimmer, IWCC director of advising.

“They have to learn to manage their time again,” Zimmer said. “The earlier stu-dents begin to plan to transfer and the more connections they make at their newschool, the easier it will be for this shock to pass quickly.”

IWCC officials offered the following tips for those planning to transfer from atwo-year to a four-year college:

■ Start planning the transfer early.■ Visit with an assigned academic advisor for information.■ Determine what to study, since picking a major is an important decision in

deciding where students want to transfer.■ Attend the Transfer Fair and college rep visits. IWCC holds two Transfer Fairs a

year, and college representatives commonly visit the student center to visit withstudents

■ Go on campus visits. This is generally when students make the decision onwhere they will transfer and where they will fit in.

“It is a gut reaction when they are on visits as to whether or not it is a good fitfor them,” Zimmer said.

■ Be aware of deadlines. Unlike Iowa Western, many institutions have deadlinesto apply for admission, housing, financial aid and scholarships.

■ Apply for graduation at IWCC. It is important for students who are planning totransfer to graduate from IWCC, so they have that designation on their transcript.

■ Consider attending orientation on the new school. That’s what Chris Liewer,University of Nebraska at Omaha director of recruitment and orientation, sug-gested.

Student may attend orientation on campus “to learn about specific resourcesavailable to them, where they are located on campus, and what you need to do inorder to ensure you are fully aware of the services available to you here at UNO.The transfer students are able to meet with their advisors within their major. Thestudents will be able see where the transfer credits fit in, register for the upcomingsemester and create a plan to complete their degree,” Liewer said.

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Dorm designsMETRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

As any parent knows, the cost ofcollege continues to rise. Accordingto CollegeBoard.com, the averagecosts at a four-year, private univer-sity for the 2009-10 school yearexceeded $26,000.

That figure is daunting on itsown, but when combined with thenation’s struggling economy thesticker price is even more shocking.While parents are fully aware ofthe costs associated with college,they might not be aware of themany ways in which they can cutcollege costs.

Though there’s little parents cando about lowering tuition, there aremyriad ways to save on other costsassociated with college. Perhaps notactic better serves parents thanplanning ahead. While many highschool seniors don’t know what toexpect when they first step on cam-pus, there are a few givens parentscan plan for when it comes to col-lege life.

One such given is furnishings.While dorm rooms aren’t akin to a5-star hotel, parents who planahead when furnishing their chil-dren’s room can save substantialamounts of money. For instance,dorm rooms are generally smallerthan a kid’s normal room, requiringsome careful planning if he or sheplans to bring most of their thingsalong to college. Parents of collegebound youngsters should considerthe following tips courtesy of Stu-dentMarket.com, the premiereonline resource for parents seekingto provide their college bound sonsand daughters with all the comfortsof home at a fraction of the cost.

■ Shop for multi-functionalitems. While college kids might notknow what a compact disc is, thatdoesn’t mean they don’t need a

place to store all those DVDs andvideo games. When shopping forstorage items, consider multi-func-tional items that serve more thanone purpose. For instance, Student-Market.com features more than1,900 TV stands, many of whichboast ample storage space ideal forcollege kids living in a crowdeddorm room.

But multi-functional items don’tstop at storage. For those collegekids lucky enough to have room fora couch, futons make the ideal addi-tion to any dorm room, acting as acouch during the day time and dou-bling up as a fold-out bed for thoseweekend visits from friends backhome.

■ Go vertical. While dorm roomsmight not provide the most squarefootage, the ceiling heights areoften average size. That makesdorm rooms ideal for going vertical.Based on consumer demand, Stu-dentMarket.com offers a wide

array of items allowing studentsand parents to do just that, includ-ing hundreds of bookcases in vary-ing styles, and name branddressers that stretch verticallyinstead of horizontally, enablingstudents to save space and money.

■ Hook it up. Hooks are anothergood friend of those who call dormshome. Instead of using up valuabledresser and closet space to hangcoats, hangers and even bath tow-els, hooks hung up on the back ofthe dorm room door or inside thecloset door make use of existingspace many college kids don’t rou-tinely use.

■ Think small. Furnishing adorm room is not the same as fur-nishing a first apartment. Whenshopping for dorm rooms, thinksmall. StudentMarket.com boastshundreds of nightstands and inno-vative furniture products ideal formaking over the cramped style ofthe average dorm room.

Submitted photos

StudentMarket.com helps college bound kids furnish their dorm rooms with-out breaking the bank.

Comfort, space saving style at college without the cost

While dorm rooms might not provide the mostsquare footage, the ceiling heights are often averagesize. That makes dorm rooms ideal for going verti-cal. Consider bookcases and dressers that stretchvertically instead of horizontally, enabling studentsto save space and money.

LESLIE REEDWORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE

NORFOLK, Neb. – A newbachelor’s degree nursing pro-gram offered here has givenKari Uhlir a new chance topursue a postponed dream.

After she graduated fromBattle Creek High in 1992,Uhlir – then Kari Schmode –headed off to the University ofNebraska-Lincoln to pursue ahealth care career. Shedeclared a pre-med major andworked part time as a certifiednurse’s aide at Madonna Reha-bilitation Hospital.

But life took her on a differ-ent path – one that led to amove back home to northeastNebraska and to marriage andmotherhood.

Uhlir is now pursuing anursing degree from theNorthern Division of the Uni-versity of Nebraska MedicalCenter College of Nursing.

On May 3, the first class of26 students will graduate fromthe Norfolk program, helpingto address a looming shortageof nurses in Nebraska.

After their first child wasborn, Uhlir and her husband,Todd, moved to Norfolk. Hetook over as manager of a fam-ily-owned Burger King restau-rant in town.

Uhlir enrolled at a nursingcollege in Sioux City, Iowa,about 75 miles away. She with-drew before starting classesbecause the drive would taketoo much time away from herinfant daughter.

Three more children camealong as the years passed.Always, the thought hoveredabout nursing school. Always,the dream seemed just beyondher reach.

Uhlir, now 38, said shecould hardly believe it whencommunity leaders startedtalking several years ago aboutraising funds to enable UNMCto establish a College of Nurs-ing campus in Norfolk.

It wasn’t that she doubtedher community could make ithappen – she’s seen how peo-ple in the counties surround-ing Norfolk can pull together.

“It was just the thought‘Can I actually do what I wantto do?’” she said. “Somethingclicked inside me.”

Eventually more than 350private donors contributednearly $12 million – the fullcost of the new building, whichis on the Northeast Commu-nity College campus and isshared by the community col-lege’s associate degree nursingprogram.

The building is named inhonor of J. Paul and EleanorMcIntosh, who donated anundisclosed amount in excessof $1 million toward its cost.

Guests to be invited to theMay graduation ceremony willinclude the hundreds of peoplewho contributed to the cause,said Liane Connelly, assistantdean in charge of the program.

The med center spends lessthan $1 million a year onsalaries for 13 faculty and fivestaff and for shared mainte-nance costs.

The Norfolk-based school ispart of the med center’s strat-egy to address a loomingshortage of nurses inNebraska.

Even though the number ofnurses graduating from 16nursing education programsin the state of Nebraskaincreased significantly in thepast decade, health careexperts say the increase is notenough to keep up with futuredemands.

Rural areas already facenursing shortages. The Centerfor Nursing reports that as of2008, 28 low-population coun-ties had fewer than half thenurses they needed.

When it opened in 2010, theNorthern Division became themed center’s fifth nursingcampus. Others are in Scotts-bluff, Kearney, Lincoln andOmaha.

By locating nurse educa-tion programs across the state,the medical center hopes toencourage new nurses to liveand work in their home com-munities.

(University of Nebraskaofficials earlier this year asked

the Legislature to approvefunds to build new nurse edu-cation facilities in Lincoln andKearney. The Legislatureapproved spending $15 mil-lion to expand the Kearneycampus but did not allocatemoney toward the Lincolnexpansion.)

The nursing campus strat-egy is working, according toseveral students interviewedat the Norfolk site.

Ashley Pokorny of Howells,Neb., who became interestedin nursing after her father losthis hand in a farm accidentwhen she was 4 years old, saidshe hopes to get a job at aclinic in the area. She lived inLincoln while completing hergeneral education require-ments at Southeast Commu-nity College.

“City life is nice, but I likeHowells,” said Pokorny, whowill graduate in May. “I don’tlike stoplights.”

Amanda Peterson gradu-ated from high school inOmaha and became a hospitalcorpsman in the U.S. Navy.After she finished active dutyshe went to work at theNebraska Medical Center as acertified nurse assistant. A

friend introduced her to MilesPeterson, an electrician fromNeligh, Neb.

She agreed to marry himand move to Neligh after shelearned that the medical cen-ter was starting a bachelor’sdegree in nursing program inNorfolk.

The two have been marriedless than a year. Without thenursing college they probablywould still be in a long-dis-tance relationship, Petersonsaid.

Uhlir, the mother of four,and Peterson are among the 48students in the Norfolk pro-gram’s second class, which willgraduate in May 2013.

Uhlir said her goal now is tobecome a nurse practitioner soshe can be in charge of her ownpractice, diagnose patients andteach new students.

Daughter Taylor is now 16,daughter Camryn is 11, sonTrenton is almost 7 anddaughter Carrington is 5.

“I love being a mom,” Uhlirsaid.

“But I always wondered(about nursing). I’ve had oddsand ends of jobs, but I neverthought I was doing what Iwas meant to do.”

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

“Real women study sci-ence.”

“Engineering is exciting.”While one may not see these

mottos plastered on billboardsacross the country or poppingup on prime time televisionjust yet, successful femaleengineers and organizationssuch as the Asia Pacific Eco-nomic Cooperation and theIEEE want individuals choos-ing a course of study andpotential career path to con-sider scientific fields – likeengineering.

There’s more to this line ofwork than meets the eye. Hereare some of the many reasonsfemale students should thinkabout pursuing a career inengineering.

1. Design and innovate:According to Dr. Irena Atov,chair of IEEE Women in Engi-neering and technical managerat Telstra, a network architec-ture reliability group, “Engi-neering jobs are involved withthe invention, design and man-ufacture of products and sys-tems.” Essentially, engineersapply the principles of scienceand mathematics to developeconomical solutions to techni-cal problems. “Everything youuse, everywhere you go in theman-made environment hasits basis in engineering,”offered Atov.

2. Play with technology:Technology isn’t just for catch-ing up on social networking ortrading e-mails. At the crux ofengineering are technologiesused to design, produce, test,and simulate how a machine,structure, or system operates.You can actually “play” withthe concepts that you aredeveloping before they are putto market.

3. Science can liberate:There’s something empower-ing about a career in a fieldthat has such widespreadtouch, impact and relatability.According to Atov, “Engineer-ing is such an interesting fieldin that every day when you goto work you can create thingsyou never thought possible – atrue way to follow yourdreams.”

Additionally, the talent poolprovided by female engineersis growing and women canbring a new perspective to thefield and its social force.

4. Hands-on work in differ-ent specialties: For those wholove to get inside a problemand work toward a solution,engineering has multiple fieldsof interest to pursue. Engineer-ing pervades so many subsetsthat there are dozens of spe-cialized concentrations withinthis field of study.

In fact, according to the U.S.Bureau of Labor Statistics,there are 17 engineering spe-

cialties recognized by the Fed-eral Government’s StandardOccupational Classificationsystem. These include: Agricul-tural engineers, biomedicalengineers, civil engineers, com-puter engineers, environmen-tal engineers, and nuclearengineers, among others. Indi-viduals interested in a specificarea of study can likely find anengineering specialty thatworks in conjunction with thatfield.

5. Engineering can belucrative: Thanks to the wide-spread demand for engineersin all facets of the economy,engineering can be a stableand intellectually stimulatingcareer. In a time of economicuncertainty, it can be a smartmove to choose a career paththat ensures long-termemployment, like engineering.Although salaries vary accord-ing to country and area of spe-cialty, it’s not uncommon toearn a starting salary of$80,000 and upward per year,

which according to the Bureauof Labor Statistics is “amongthe highest of all college grad-uates.”

6. Travel opportunitiesabound: A truly global careerpath, engineering jobs exist allover the world. Atov said,“Engineering offers interna-tional portability – enablingyou to work in different coun-tries.” Domestic companiesmay place employees to workin foreign subsidiaries, orglobal companies may be look-ing for a larger pool of appli-cants.

“Especially in the field ofacademia, engineers don’t justpursue careers in their homestate, or even country. Univer-sity jobs are now advertisedworldwide and it is quite thenorm, to have applicants fromevery continent – thus ensur-ing that the best candidates inthe world are chosen,” shesaid.

“Women should know, nowmore than ever, that engineer-ing is a career that bringstogether passion, creativityand intelligence to a job whereyou can help people,” said Atov.

Engineering careers gener-ally require a four-year degreefrom an accredited university.Internships can help individu-als further clarify the intrica-cies of a career in engineering,especially one in a certain spe-cialization. Regardless of ageor level of education, if yourdream is to join the ranks ofother successful women engi-neers – such as Dr. Radia Perl-man, known as the Mother ofthe Internet, and Nancy J.Currie, a NASA astronaut,engineer and officer in the U.S.Armed Forces – visit TryEngi-neering.org or ieee.org/womento learn more.

The Daily Nonpareil COLLEGE BOUND Sunday, April 8, 2012 5F

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METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

The year 2010 saw womensurpass men in advanceddegrees for the first time ever.So says the United StatesCensus Bureau, which foundthat among adults 25 andolder who earned a master’sdegree, 10.6 million werewomen and 10.5 million weremen.

Such statistics illustratehow women are increasinglypositioning themselves forcareer advancement. Thoughthere’s no guarantee that anadvanced degree will advancea career, the appeal of anadvanced degree and itspotential impact on careeraspirations is somethingmany women are finding toodifficult to resist. But there area few things women shouldconsider before they begintheir pursuit of graduatedegrees.

■ Immediate career impli-cations: It’s common to thinkof the future when weighingthe pros and cons of graduateschool, but women currentlyworking in their fields shouldconsider the immediate impli-cations of pursuing anadvanced degree. Graduatestudies require a much biggercommitment than undergrad-uate studies, and that commit-ment could negatively impactyour current employment.Though it’s possible to attendgraduate school part-time,some programs insist studentsattend full-time, which mightmake it impossible to main-tain your current employmentand attend graduate school atthe same time. Consider theimmediate ramifications ofattending graduate school,and decide if those conse-quences are worth the effort.

■ Finances: Pursuing anadvanced degree is consider-ably more expensive than pur-suing a bachelor’s degree.Women should examine theirfinances and decide if they arewilling to take on studentloans or pay for graduateschool from their own savings.If you decide that taking outloans is worth it, it helps toknow that many programsonly offer financial aid to full-time students. If you don’tplan to attend graduate schoolfull-time, you might need tofind other ways to finance youreducation.

In addition to the cost ofattending graduate school,also consider the impact sucha decision will have on yourearning potential, especially ifyou will be paying out-of-pocket. Established profes-sionals already earning goodsalaries might find the cost ofan advanced degree and itspossible effect on future earn-

ings doesn’t add up. However,younger college grads whosecareers haven’t taken off oreven begun might earn consid-erably more money if theyearn advanced degrees.

■ Need: Some people pur-sue a graduate degree becauseit’s necessary in order for themto advance their careers. Oth-ers do so because of externalfactors, such as a poor econ-omy, that are making it diffi-cult for them to gain entry intotheir desired fields. Beforegoing forward with your pur-suit of a graduate degree,research your field to see ifsuch a degree is truly neces-sary. An advanced degree isdesirable in many fields butnot necessarily all of them. Ifyour career has been steadilyadvancing without the help ofa graduate degree, then youmight not need one after all.

■ Time: Working mothersare typically busy enoughwithout the added burden ofattending graduate school. Ifyou have children and needyour current salary to supportyour family, then you mightfind you don’t have the time topursue an advanced degree. Ifyou can afford to quit your job,however, graduate schoolmight work, though it willlikely require sacrifice on thepart of both you and your fam-ily.

Submitted photo

When deciding whether or not to pursue an advanceddegree, women should consider the impact such a pur-suit might have on their present employment.

Deciding if graduateschool is right for you

Opportunity knocks: Careers aboundfor women in science and technology

Submitted photo

Essentially, engineers apply the principles of science andmathematics to develop economical solutions to techni-cal problems. The talent pool provided by female engi-neers is growing, and women can bring a new perspec-tive to the field and its social force.

New nursing campus helps woman pursue her postponed dream

■ Immediatecareer implications:Though it’s possible toattend graduate schoolpart-time, some pro-grams insist studentsattend full-time, whichmight make it impossi-ble to maintain your cur-rent employment andattend graduate schoolat the same time.

■ Finances: Womenshould examine theirfinances and decide ifthey are willing to takeon student loans or payfor graduate school fromtheir own savings.

■ Need: Before goingforward with your pur-suit of a graduatedegree, research yourfield to see if such adegree is truly neces-sary.

■ Time: If you havechildren and need yourcurrent salary to sup-port your family, thenyou might find you don’thave the time to pursuean advanced degree.

What toconsider

The Daily NonpareilCOLLEGE BOUND6F Sunday, April 8, 2012

Why many are opting tostudy in healthcare fields

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

Unemployment rates may stillbe high and the opportunities outthere in specific careers might bewaning, but there is one job sectorthat may be promising – health-care.

Statistics from the U.S. Depart-ment of Labor indicate that 3.2million jobs will be created by2018 in the healthcare industry.Other forecasters say that with anaging population who will providethe demand for healthcare work-ers, jobs in the health sector makesense as a stable career option.Plus there are more opportunitiesfor hire.

But what healthcare jobs areout there for those who don’t cur-rently have a medical degree northe time to devote to a long educa-tion or much additional schooling?As it turns out, plenty.

■ Dental assistant: This careeris one of the fastest-growingcareers in healthcare, according toindustry experts. While formalschooling may not be needed andsome dentists train on-site,there’s better opportunity forthose who have completed a train-ing program. Some dental assis-tant diploma or certificate pro-grams can be completed in as lit-tle as a year.

The median expected salary fora typical dental assistant in theUnited States is $32,969.

■ Registered nurse: Nurses areoften the unsung heroes of thehealthcare industry. Though doc-tors may get all the glory, it’s often

nurses who provide the much-needed, behind-the-scenes carethat complements a doctor’sexpertise. Applicants can considerearning a two-year associatesdegree in nursing to get started inthe field and then continue theireducation and certification asthey advance.

According to the Bureau ofLabor Statistics, the averagesalary of a registered nurse in theUnited States is $67,720.

■ Pharmacy technician: Theworld of pharmaceuticals contin-ues to grow. A 2009 story inForbes magazine indicated that11.6 prescriptions are issued perperson in the U.S. each year. WestVirgina is the state with the high-est number of scripts per capita.With so many prescriptionsissued each year, the demand forpharmacy employees is increas-

ing. Assistants can generally com-plete a certificate program, whichmay be as short as six months.

Pharmacy techs earn an aver-age salary of $32,600, accordingto Salary.com.

■ Hospice care worker:Whether providing home hospicecare or working in a facility, theseworkers provide support andassistance to the elderly or indi-viduals with illnesses thatrestrict their ability to care forthemselves. Hospice care is oftenend-of-life care and requires aspecial level of devotion fromworkers.

Depending on the program, abachelor’s degree in nursing and astate certification may be allthat’s necessary to become a hos-pice technician.

Salaries can range from$35,000 to $60,000.

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Some predict that with an aging population who will provide thedemand for healthcare workers, jobs in the health sector make senseas a stable career option.

Statistics show3.2M jobs will becreated by 2018in the healthcare

industry

Agricultural careeropportunities abound

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

A career in agriculture can proverichly rewarding. While it’s commonto envision overalls and tractorswhen imagining careers in agricul-ture, the opportunities to work inthe agriculture industry stretchbeyond the farm and into the corpo-rate world. The following are a fewof the paths men and women with apassion for agriculture can pursue.

■ Business: Agriculture is bigbusiness, and the industry hasmany opportunities for those whowant to pursue a career in business.Farmers and producers of agricul-tural products need someone todraft contracts for their agreementswith the large corporations who dis-tribute those products. In addition,purchasing agents and agriculturalfinanciers are just two of the manycareer opportunities that enablemen and women to work on thebusiness side of agriculture.

■ Social service: The agricul-tural industry also has positions ofsocial service. In addition to foodinspector, who ensures agriculturalproducts are safe for human con-

sumption, social service positionswithin the agricultural industryinclude environmental consultantand conservation officer. Men andwomen can also work to developprograms that encourage young-sters to pursue careers in the agri-cultural industry.

■ Production: Of course, theagricultural industry has a host ofcareers for those who want to gettheir hands dirty. Farms need to beplowed, seeds must be planted andfertilized and farms need to be well-maintained to continue operatingefficiently and effectively. Thoughtechnology has taken the place ofmany agricultural production posi-tions, there are still many opportu-nities out there for those who wantto work under the sun.

■ Education: Those who want toshare their love of agriculture withothers can put their skills to workin the classroom. Agriculturalinstructors can train the next gen-eration of agriculture professionalsat the university or high schoollevel, ensuring today’s farms areleft in good hands tomorrow.

The opportunitiesto work in theagriculture indus-try stretchbeyond the farmand into the cor-porate world.

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